Valve mechanism for pressure dispenser



June 1953 H. COUNTRYMAN VALVE MECHANISM FOR PRESSURE DISPENSER Filed Sept. 1 1950 I INVENTOR. rIAMEB H.00UNTRYMAN4 ATTORNEY Patented June '30, 1953 VALVE MECHANISM FOR PRESSURE DISPENSER James H. Countryman, West Middletown, Ohio Application September 1, 1950, Serial No. 182,747

2 Claims. '1

This invention relates to a valve mechanism for controlling the flow of a fluid in a fluid pressure dispenser.

One object of the invention is to provide a gravity operated valve mechanism for controlling the dispensing of fiuid from a pressure container such as is used for dispensing whipped cream.

Another object of the invention is to provide a self-contained valve unit for a pressure system including a closure member to be unseated by tilting action of the valve unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a self-contained valve unit comprising a resilient body provided with a cavity opening interiorly and exteri-orly of a fluid supply container and containing a gravity operated valve closure member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a removable closure cap for the container which will lock the valve against operation in any position of the container.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view on the line II of Fig. 2 through the upper end of a container and valve unit embodying the features of this invention, and

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the upper end of the container with the cap removed and parts broken away and showing the fluid passages in dotted lines.

As shown in the drawings, a metal container 5 is joined at its upper end to a reduced cylindrical neck portion 6, with an angular shoulder I and a flat top portion 8 provided with a centrally located opening 9. 'I'he junction of the container 5 with the upper portion 6 is a circumferential groove I0. A cylindrical body I5 of flexible ma-- terial, such as neoprene, is fitted into the portion 6 with sufiicient force to cause the material at the lower end of the body I5 to conform to the contour of the inner face of the groove II! and be gripped thereby. A heart shaped cavity I8 is formed within the central part of the body I 5. Inlet ports I 9 in the body I5 open into the cavity I8 at their upper ends and into the interior of the container at their lower ends. An outlet port 20, opening into the lower end of the cavity I8, is connected with the inner ends of radially extendin passages 2I through the body I5. The radial passages ZI are connected at their outer ends with a lower groove 22 in the periphery of the body I5. An upper peripheral groove 23 is connected by longitudinal grooves 24 in the periphery of the body I5 with the lower peripheral groove 22. The upper peripheral groove 23 opens in the upper end of the cylindrical portion 6 of I the container. A plunger 32 extends upwardly through and for a slight distance beyond the top of the opening -3 I, and is provided on its end within the cavity with a conical end 33 to engage the ball 30 and a collar 34 adapted to seat against the upper inner wall of the cavity I8 when the valve is open.

A cap or cover 40 of resilient plastic material is adapted to fit over the top portion 6 and is retained in position by means of an inwardly extending peripheral bead 4! engaging the groove ID in the container. A projection 42 is formed upon the inside of the cap 40 in position to engage and retain the plunger 32 in engagement with the ball 30 to seat it against the lower end wall of the cavity I8.

In the manufacture of the device, the valveunit will be molded into the desired form to include the cavity I 8, the outlet and inlet port openings I9 and 20, the peripheral passages 22 and 23, the longitudinal passages 24, and the opening 3| in the top of the cylindrical body I5. The ball 30 is forced through the opening SI, into the cavity I8, as is also the collar 34 of the plunger 32. The unit is then forced upwardly into the cylindrical top portion 6, and the bottom of the container is filled with the material to be dispensed and sealed at the bottom. After the above assembly ismade, an energizing gas is introduced into the container through the discharge outlet 25.

The path for the gas will be along the pe ripheral and longitudinal grooves 22 in the surface of the cylindrical member I5, the radial passages 2|, the outlet port 20, into the cavity I8, and through the inlet ports I9, into the body of the container. When the pressure supplying force is removed from the discharge outlet 25, and with the container in a vertical position, the ball I8, by its weight and the pressure of the gas, will close the outlet port opening 20 to block the flow of material from the container. The container is sealed against loss of contents during shipping or storage by reason of the engagement of the inner end of the plunger 32 in the cover 40 with the ball 30 when the cap or cover 40 is in place.

In the use of the dispenser above described,

the cap 40 will be removed to release the pressure upon the ball 38, which will be unseated by gravity when the container is moved out of a vertical position, and the contents of the container will be forced outwardly through the discharge opening 25 in a reverse direction to the flow of the gas in charging the container. For repeated applications, the dispenser may be reenergized by applying pressure by a finger to the top end of the'plunger 32 to seat the ball 30 against the outlet port 20 and shaking the container. The presence of the finger may also be made to control the rate of flow of the material.

By this invention there is provided an efiicient pressure dispensing device of few and simple parts of low cost, which may be easily produced and assembled into an efficient device, simple in operation, and one that may be economically used as a throw away device when empty.

. 7 Although I have shown and described my'invention with respect to certain details of construction, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be unduly limited thereto, certain modifications being possible without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

I claim:

1.' In a pressure dispensing device, a metal con tainer comprising a body portion and a reduced top portion provided with an opening through its top wall, a flexible cylindrical valve container 0 4 spring locked closure cap adapted to fit over the reduced portion of the container, a projection in the cap engaging the plunger to lock the ball in the cavity in a seated position, fluid discharge passages in the periphery of the valve container opening into the discharge port, and an outlet in the upper end of the container opening into the peripheral discharge passage.

2. In a pressure dispensing device, a metal I container comprising a body portion and -a reduced neck portion provided with an opening throughits top, a flexible cylindrical valve container located within the neck portion and provided with a cavity, a discharge port opening vertically into the cavity and laterally to the periphery of the valve container, passages in the periphery of the valve container, a discharge opening in the container in register with the peripheral passages in the valve container, a ball weight in the cavity movable by gravity to open and close the discharge port, and a plunger extending through the upper wall of the valve container and the opening in the top of the metal container with its upper end in position to be engaged by the finger of a user and its lower end in position to engage and seat the ball in response to pressure upon its upper end.

JAMES H. COUNTRYMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,250,598 Langstafi Dec. 18, 1917 2,017,839 Berendt Oct. 22, 1935 2,437,882 Mallick Mar. 16, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 605,822 France Feb. 26, 1926 

